TJ's POV

From two blocks away, I can see Cyrus waiting on a swing, gently pushing himself back and forth. He doesn't notice me, but I notice him, and it motivates me to walk twice as fast to close the gap between me and the empty swing next to Cyrus. The crunching of dry leaves under my feet alerts Cyrus of my arrival, and he looks over to see me and smiles as I sit down beside him.

"We've never met at this park before," Cyrus comments.

"Yeah," I respond. "It's the closest one to where my half-sister lives."

"It's also close to Buffy's house," Cyrus adds. "We used to come here a lot when we were younger."

I laugh uncomfortably, deciding I should stop putting off telling him the truth. It's never going to change, so I might as well just comes to terms with it.

"Yeah, there's a reason for that," I say. 

"What?" Cyrus asks, confused.

"Buffy is my half-sister," I disclose.

Cyrus' jaw drops automatically, and probably without him even noticing, as he stares at me, trying to work through what I just said. A few long seconds go by before he speaks again, starting in a stutter.

"So you're—she's—how?"

I begin explaining through everything my mother told me about the situation, falling into a ramble. My words become so constant that all Cyrus can do is listen, unable to sneak any of his own thoughts in until I finally finish and take a deep breath to regain the air I've just drained with my explanation. 

"That explains why she's been so on edge recently," Cyrus says. "I knew she wasn't telling us something. And it makes sense now why she was avoiding me whenever I was with you."

"Doesn't she always do that?" I question.

"Yeah, but not to the same degree."

I don't know how true that is. Buffy always wants to leave whenever I show up, but I also never talk to her, so I guess I don't know exactly how poorly she views me. Cyrus is her best friend, so he'd know her better. Sometimes I find it astounding how he could be friends with me while his best friend calls me her enemy. That seems to break some kind of best friend rule, but Cyrus doesn't care, and I don't understand it. 

"I'm surprised you can still want to be friends with me, knowing how much she hates me," I say.

Cyrus looks at me with eyes that seem to glow their own sunset light. 

"I think it surprises me sometimes too," he responds, letting a soft smile cross his face. "But it also surprises me that someone like you would even consider being friends with someone like me."

"Someone like me?"

"Yeah," he says. "Confident, cool, attractive."

I smile a little, feeling myself blush at the compliment. "Underdog, I'm only confident around you. Usually, I'm much more of a mess."

"Well, there's something we have in common," Cyrus says with a chuckle. 

I feel my face burn even hotter, and I turn my head away to try to hide the redness from the boy who caused it. Instead, I catch sight of a large fountain beyond the playground. It sprays up then drops down onto a concrete ground where I imagine people must play in the summer, letting themselves be pelted by the water. 

"I've never seen a fountain like that before," I comment. 

"I used to come here to play in it with Buffy and Andi a lot when I was younger," Cyrus says. 

I glance over, realizing he's no longer sitting on his swing, but instead standing next to mine. His eyes go wide when I grin, him picking up on my idea. 

"I'm not dressed for it," he says. 

I get up off the swing, then reply, "Me neither."

He gives me a little pout as I swing my arm over his shoulder and start guiding him toward the fountain. His pout is quickly replaced by a small smile as we walk, around which point I also realize I've had my arm around him for too long, and I let it fall. Now separated, Cyrus trails just barely behind me as we cross the grass.  

I'm taken completely off guard when I feel the boy's hand reach for mine, linking us back together. It feels like a million butterflies were just transferred into me through the new connection, and they brought drumsticks with them to beat my heart at the speed of a runaway train. I look back at him, but his eyes are elsewhere, scanning the houses in the distance. But after long enough, they eventually find their way to mine, and he smiles, sending scarlet through my cheeks, the same shade that wraps his. 

I've forgotten what I even came here to do by the time I get to the edge of the concrete circle that encompasses the fountain, but Cyrus' hesitation reminds me of my purpose as he lets go of my hand and stops at the edge of the grass. 

"I'll just wait here," he says. 

"Come on," I say. 

Then I start jogging into the wall of raining water. The icy cold shocks me instantly, but I stand under the downpour, my arms out. I have to work hard to keep myself from shivering. It's far too cool outside to be playing in water, but here I am, trying to convince Cyrus to join me. 

"It's great!" I shout.

"Are you not freezing?" Cyrus replies. 

"Not at all," I lie. 

I'm pleased when my acting skills pay off. Cyrus smiles and walks in toward where I am. Once in front of the edge of the rain, he holds a hand out to test it first, then immediately pulls away. 

"You lied! That feels like ice!" he says over the sound of the beating water.

I roll my eyes at his hesitation and reach out to take both his hands then pull him into the water. He submits like sand, easily letting me take control without a fight. He scrunches his face as a defence against the cold, but it doesn't do anything. 

Laughing, I step back, closer to the fountain base, into a cave of dryness, enclosed by a wall and roof of water. Cyrus doesn't let me go so easily though, for he runs up to grab my hands again, yanking me back into the spray. 

"This was your idea," he says, chuckling. "I'm not going to get drenched alone."

I agree to his logic and step back out of my dry haven, but as soon as I do, Cyrus giggles and swaps places with me, ducking out from the water. 

"What do you think you're doing?" I joke.

"I'd rather not be dripping while I walk home," Cyrus replies.

I shake my head and snatch his hand again to pull him back in. 

He resists a little, but I don't let him go, and he ends up swinging out into the water anyway. He laughs as soon as the downpour falls onto him again, and I can't help but join in. 

Then, influenced by some force in my brain, I pull him in toward me. His laughing fades as he stumbles up to me and adjusts his hands to weave his fingers through mine. 

"See," I say, trying not to let my heart break through my ribs. "It's not that cold."

He smiles and responds, "No, it isn't."

His eyes hold mine for a little longer, and I think for a moment that I might kiss him, but the twist of nervousness in my chest prevents me from doing anything, and I step back, letting him go. 

Cyrus frowns and asks a question that I'm not sure how to answer. "TJ, what were you about to do?"

I look over at him, no response prepared. 

"I—I'm not sure," I say. 

He steps back up to me, intertwining our hands again. 

"Can I make a suggestion?" he asks. 

Then he brings his lips in to kiss me. Neither of us are focused on the freezing fountain water dripping down our clothes anymore. The only thing I'm aware of is his body against mine. It feels long overdue, like a sunrise at noon, but all I care about it that the light is here and I don't need a flashlight to see anymore, because he more than fulfills that role. 

A/N: School is busy right now, which is why it's taking me so long to write these chapters, but I'm hoping it will settle down soon. Thank you for reading. I love and appreciate you all! Also, I've had my idea for my next books for a long time now, so, to let you all know, I have an Ambi fic and another Tyrus fic in the works next. Which I post first will be based on which I finish he outline for first. I'm going to try to update more regularly from now on, though. Love you! Bye!

Also, why does nobody comment anymore?